HuMing learned from the boss that the necklace in his hand was, in fact, the recognized emblem of WuYuan Town.
Only those wearing this necklace could enter and leave WuYuan Town. Even familiar locals couldn't get in without it.
This was a rule established by ChaChai, which explained why this lawless area was so fiercely exclusionary.
HuMing examined the necklace in his hand, shaped like a tiny bottle. Its design was peculiar, as if it contained something inside.
He pocketed the necklace and gazed toward the two people before him.
"Now, we should discuss how to handle the situation from here," HuMing said as he stood up, his eyes fixed on the boss.
The boss, flustered, quickly spoke. "Wait, if you're planning to meet ChaChai, I have something that might help you!"
He pulled out an envelope from his pocket—a high-quality one sealed with a red stamp, as if officially authenticated.
HuMing took the envelope, opened it, and read its contents.
It was a recommendation letter, inviting the recipient to participate in a boxing competition hosted by ChaChai.
Although HuMing didn't know the relationship between the letter's original owner and ChaChai, he thought this could be a good way to get close to ChaChai.
But how did the boss get hold of such a letter?
Looking at the boss, HuMing's suspicion was apparent. The boss quickly explained, "That man sold me the letter. You might not know this, but this inn is a black-market hub in the area. I often accept items that others don't dare to take. When you came in earlier, I had just finished a deal."
HuMing glanced at the man lying on the floor, barely alive. The floor was stained with blood, and the man's lips were pale—he was clearly on the brink of death.
"Do you know who this letter originally belonged to?"
"I've heard about it. Apparently, Mr. Ross often dealt with ChaChai. But whether they’ve met in person, I can’t say," the boss replied nervously.
The boss knew the letter might be useful, but if ChaChai realized that HuMing wasn’t the invited Mr. Ross, HuMing would be in grave danger.
And if the letter turned out to be useless, their survival would be equally uncertain.
Thinking of this, the boss swallowed hard, his mind racing to figure out how to negotiate with HuMing to protect himself.
Suddenly, the dying man on the floor crawled toward HuMing. He had been silent all this time.
In an instant, he grabbed the glass bottle discarded by HuMing and, with all his strength, lunged toward HuMing’s neck.
But before he could land the strike, a sharp "biu" echoed.
The boss froze, staring at the corpse now lying on the floor.
A bloody hole had appeared in the man’s chest, right where his heart was. HuMing, holding a gun, coldly eyed the body.
The man had tried to kill him, so he showed no mercy.
"Take care of the body. That won’t be a problem for you, right?" HuMing said, turning his gaze to the boss.
"No problem at all! I swear I won’t say a word about what happened here!" the boss stammered, his back drenched in cold sweat. He was relieved that he hadn’t resisted earlier, or else he might have ended up as the corpse on the floor.
The boss tried to stand up, but his legs had already gone weak, making even the act of rising a struggle.
He gave HuMing an awkward smile, then stomped his feet to force himself upright before dragging the corpse away.
Meanwhile, HuMing carefully examined the invitation letter.
As sunlight streamed through the window, HuMing pulled open the curtains and looked outside.
He carried his suitcase downstairs, where the boss stood nervously at the front desk, watching him.
"Sir, the body has been dealt with. You can leave without worry. No one will trace your movements."
He glanced at the necklace now hanging around HuMing’s neck.
Outside, a motorcycle stood ready—a token of compensation from the boss.
HuMing donned his helmet and rode off, leaving the inn behind as if nothing had happened.
The boss watched HuMing’s figure disappear into the distance, finally relaxing.
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this man was no ordinary person. His arrival might bring significant changes to WuYuan Town.
Shutting the door, the boss let out a heavy breath and slumped onto the sofa.
"A harbinger of disaster…"
Just as he was about to retreat to his room to rest, a knock came at the door.
The ride into town was smooth. Unlike before, the locals no longer showed the same wary expressions that the middle-aged woman had when they first met.
It was all thanks to the necklace around HuMing's neck.
As he drove, he finally reached the town. To his surprise, it didn’t look any different from an ordinary small town.
Street vendors shouted to sell their wares, children played in groups with pebbles, and the old convenience stores, bustling market, and wooden boats moored along the river gave the place a Jiangnan-like charm.
After a brief tour, however, HuMing noticed something peculiar—there wasn’t a single school in the area.
No elementary schools, no kindergartens—nothing.
This was highly unusual.
[Could it be that ChaChai deliberately avoided establishing schools to better control the locals?]
Uneducated people were easier to manipulate since they lacked independent thought and spent their lives toiling away.
This conclusion fits what HuMing had observed during his missions.
After a quick survey, HuMing entered an old convenience store and bought a soda.
While paying, he casually asked, "Boss, is there a family named Zhou around here?"
"Zhou? Oh, you mean Teacher Zhou? Of course. Years ago, he volunteered to teach the children here. But for some reason, he angered Mr. ChaChai and hasn’t taught since."
"I see. Where does he live now?"
"Hmm? You’re not from around here, are you?" The boss scrutinized HuMing, clearly unfamiliar with him.
HuMing nodded openly, then pulled out a stack of cash and placed it on the counter.
"I’m his nephew. My mother’s in the hospital and wanted to see him."
"Ah, that explains it. Just head straight and turn at the corner. His house is the red one!"
As HuMing was about to leave, the boss added, "Oh yeah, years ago, Teacher Zhou sent one of his students away…"